Rationalized
by Jupiter Queen
Summary: It all started with a baby picture. (One-shot.)


_**Note**: This one-shot makes references to the season three episode "Baby, You Stink."_

_**A/N**: Here's the second of a few one-shots based upon various pairings. It focuses on Jen/Jude but has some Jonesy/Nikki (because I can't stay away from that ship)._

_**Warning**: Contains profanity and sexual content because of Jonesy/Nikki and everyday teenage hormones. (To quote Jude: "Dude, there's sex in H-E-R-E… Oops, spelled the wrong word.")_

_Everyone's just about seventeen years old in this, because I like writing things with the gang being at least a little older. I don't even care if the finale's events took place or not._

* * *

Jonesy walked back to the group's food court table with his arm slung over Nikki's shoulders. As they sat down, Nikki placed something facedown on the table and gave Jonesy a flirty smile (which he returned). They, without speaking, decided to play coy so they wouldn't draw too much attention to themselves. However, their friend's eyes were already glued to them.

Caitlin leaned against the Big Squeeze's counter, smiling. "You two look happy."

Nikki said, "So? _You're_ always happy."

"Yeah, but you guys are a different kind of happy."

"A _suspicious_ kind of happy," Jen added with a grin.

"Definitely," said Wyatt.

"And you've got lipstick all on your face, bro," Jude said.

Jonesy's cheeks flushed pink, standing out against his tan skin. He began wiping the lipstick off his cheeks and neck.

Jen giggled, her eyes glued to Nikki's side of the table. "So, what's that in front of you, Nik?"

Her eyes widened. She tried avoiding looks from her friends. "Nothing."

"Really? Because it looks like _something_." Jen practically jumped across the table to pry whatever Nikki had away from her.

She, frustrated and defeated, sighed as Jen inspected the photo.

Her eyes lit up. "Aw, this is adorable! Nikki, I can't believe you didn't want to show us this."

"What is it, Jen?" asked Caitlin.

Jen motioned for Caitlin to stand behind her chair, which she did. Caitlin, Wyatt, and Jude stared at the photo.

Caitlin beamed at the couple. "You guys, this is adorable!"

Jonesy, growing hot, tugged on his collar. After months of curiosity and embarrassment, he and Nikki had decided to visit the photo booth that printed images of what a couple's baby would look like. Their "baby" happened to be a girl with tan skin, dark brown eyes, and short blue hair with a lock of lilac in the front.

Nikki's cheeks grew hot. "Okay—so Jonesy and I got curious. At least if I have a baby, I won't be surprised that she'll look like this lunkhead." She pointed to Jonesy for emphasis.

"Garcia genes do run pretty strong, babe," he said, ignoring her "lunkhead" comment.

Caitlin bounced in her heels; she was careful to not let her lemon hat slide off her head, however. "You two would have the cutest baby ever! You know, besides Little Dude."

Jude grinned at the mention of his "what-if" baby with Jen. He looked at her, saying, "LD was special, wasn't he?"

She laughed. "He was."

"I wonder if Ron the Rent-a-Cop still has that photo." He placed a hand on his chin. "Hmm…"

"I'm not sure if he does, Jude. That picture was taken months ago."

He gave her a warm look. "Either way, LD lives on in my heart, bra."

* * *

Jonesy smirked as Nikki pulled him by the collar.

He landed on top of her, straddling her on his living room couch. He moaned against her lips, wanting so much more at the moment. Caught in a daze—in the midst of heavy breathing—he mumbled, "I love you, babe."

"I love you, too." She pulled him closer and kissed him hard, slipping her hands underneath his shirt.

He ran his hands along her body, grabbing anything that would make her writhe in pure bliss.

Their breathing became erratic and, in the heat of the moment, Jonesy lifted her off the couch, bridal-carrying her. It had been over a week since they last slept together, but he was more than willing to change that.

While catching her breath, she yelled, "Jonesy!"

He cocked an eyebrow. "How about we take this to my room?"

She took a moment to think. "I can live with that."

Pleased, he pressed his lips against hers—ready to carry her away—but before he could run up the stsirs with her in his arms, the doorbell rang.

"Aw, shit. _Not_ a good time, hombre," he said, putting Nikki back on the ground.

"It's okay. I can wait," she said.

"_I_ can't," he muttered as he walked to the front door. The house was almost empty—save for Jen being in her room—and he and Nikki just had the _perfect_ moment. He sighed. At least Nikki was fine with being interrupted for a minute, but if it was up to him, they'd already be in his room, her clothes would be _gone_, and he'd be making her yell all night long.

He opened the door and found the last person he expected.

"Hey, Jonesy."

"Jude?" He scratched the back of his head. "You know our video game night isn't until Saturday, right?"

Jude, avoiding Jonesy's eyes, stared at the ground. "Yeah, I know. I just wanna talk to Jen."

"_Oh_." He knew what was going on. He'd caught Jude giving Jen a certain look when they'd brought up Little Dude earlier. The same look he had when he developed a crush on Starr. _Oh yeah, dude's crushing on Jen_, he had thought. Knowing how much effort it took to become more than friends with Nikki, he wasn't going to stand in Jude's way of getting Jen. He respected it. (Especially since Jude was the first to support the idea of him and Nikki dating.) "She's in her room."

Jude fist-bumped Jonesy, saying, "I owe ya one. Thanks, Jonesy."

"No problem, Jude."

Jonesy closed the door once Jude made his way in. While Jude ran up the stairs, Jonesy gazed at Nikki, his lips curling into a mischievous grin.

"So, where were we again?"

"Well, Casanova, you were just about 'whisk me away' to your room." She snorted.

He ran towards her, scooping her into his arms and pressing his lips against hers. "That sounds about right."

* * *

Jude stood in front of Jen's door with hesitation. He wasn't exactly an expert at confessing feelings for a girl, let alone at making advances on her. (The movie-theater fiasco with Starr served as a reminder of that.)

Before he lost his nerve, he knocked on her door twice.

"_What_ do you want, Jonesy?" she asked, almost ripping the door off its hinges. Her eyes widened at seeing Jude instead. He was obviously frightened. She blushed. "Oh, it's just you. Sorry about that."

"No problema, bra." He fidgeted with the back of his toque. "Do you mind if I talk to you for a sec?"

"No, I don't mind at all." Losing the hostile stance she maintained when thinking it was Jonesy at her door, she moved out his way. "You can come in."

"Cool."

She sat on the edge of her bed and for the first time he feared sitting on it. Regardless of her reaction, telling her his feelings would change everything. He could never sit in that spot the same away again. He never minded change until now, knowing that saying the words, "Jen, I like you" would alter the functions and mechanics of their relationship. He sucked a deep breath through his dry mouth. His lips were chapped. It was a do-or-die moment.

"Even thought it happened a really long time ago, I meant what I said about LD earlier. He still lives on in me, bra." She looked quizzical, so he continued. "You and me made the best future baby photo ever, and—y'know—when it happened, I really just liked the photo. But I've been thinking about it lately, and I think I really like _you_, Jen."

Her mouth fell open.

He felt the need to finish his train of thought. "You've been my best friend since we were little mini-dudes, and you've always been there for me. I know you and Travis broke up a while ago, but I really wanna give you a shot. You're just… really amazing—the best girl ever, besides Caitlin and Nikki, even though me and them are just the Three Amigos."

She closed her mouth. Butterflies fluttered in her stomach. Her palms sweat. It took a moment to process Jude saying that he _liked_ her. Of all things she expected him to discuss, never did she think this would be it. Her heart pounded, threatening to burst through her ribcage. Never had she been so frightened. Sure, Coach Halder frightened her sometimes, but this was different—because she actually _liked_ Jude too.

But, once again, she was Logical Jen, here to overanalyze scenarios and thoughts and emotions.

Even if emotions couldn't always be rationalized.

It was weird and fascinating and frightening. The idea of her and Jude made sense, yet it didn't.

He enjoyed the rush of where his skateboard led him, and the same applied to her and her snowboard. He could pull her away from the stress of both being on the student council and working at the Penalty Box and make her _smile_. He made her and their four other friends see the beauty in simplicity.

But he procrastinated too often while she overworked herself. He went with the flow of a situation while she planned for every detail that could be accounted for. He enjoyed the beauty of the imagination while she (sometimes) confined herself to the horrors of reality.

Earlier she'd found herself wanting what Jonesy and Nikki had more than ever. With all their quarrels and kisses, they were fascinating. But even _t__hey_ became more than friends and, despite being polar opposites, managed to complement one another. Why couldn't she and Jude do the same?

Why couldn't _they_ show up to the table with Jude wearing her lipstick stains?

Why couldn't _they_ giggle amongst themselves about make-out sessions they'd engaged in?

Why couldn't _they_ revel in the beauty of secrets made for two?

Then again, she possesed the power to say they _could_. She had the ability to shut Logical Jen down and confess her feelings with no crazy analysis whatsoever.

But she couldn't will her mouth to speak. For once in her life, she was at a loss of words.

"I…" she started a sentence without knowing how to end it. She stared at her clammy palms, hoping there would be marker-written words on them, even if they'd be smudged. There were none. No script to read from and no smudges.

He frowned and stood up. At least he tried. "I guess I should go now."

She didn't want to let him walk out. She couldn't allow herself to do it. She'd be letting one of the biggest chances in her life slip away. Before he could open her door, she grabbed his arm. "Wait—don't go!" He faced her, standing still. "Jude, I really like you too, a-and I want to give us a try."

"Really?"

She gave him a warm smile. "Definitely."

Out of excitement, he wrapped her in an embrace and kissed her. Her eyes widened, taken aback at first, but they closed as she eased into the moment. His lips were warm against hers, a pleasant sensation. She was glad she could subdue her need to process every little thing, but even more glad that she managed to change where her relationship with Jude stood. She pressed her lips against his one more time before they parted.

"Whoa. That was really nice."

She wiped her mouth. "Very. You're a really good kisser, Jude."

He chuckled. "Same."

"So, I was thinking: do you want to watch a movie downstairs with me? It can be our unofficial first date."

He held her hand, clamminess and all. "Of course, bra. I think it can be our first _real_ date."

She pecked him on the cheek, finding comfort in their newfound affection. "Sounds good to me."

They stepped into the hallway, where Jude noticed a sock on the doorknob across the hall. He laughed, knowing what _that_ meant.

"Du-u-ude," he said.

"What?" Jen asked, not catching on.

"You see, a sock represents two people—"

Loud moans and cries coming from Jonesy's bedroom, all uniquely Nikki's, interrupted him.

Jen's pupils dilated in horror. "Oh my God, they're having _sex_!"

Jude laughed again. He hugged her from behind and rested his head on her comfy shoulder. "Maybe that could be us someday."

She gasped. "Jude!"

He shrugged after he let her go. "Hey, anything could happen."

_Well, he _does_ have a point_, she thought.

Before she could amuse herself with thoughts of Jude being shirtless and quickly scold herself for it, he said, "Last one down's on popcorn duty!"

"I'm willing to take that challenge."

Running down the stairs like little kids, Jen found that she could get used to this.


End file.
